Connected
by BensonFan711
Summary: Olivia is being stalked by someone from her past. How will the SVU respond when one of their own becomes a victim? Contains Season 10 spoilers.


Connected

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine.

Rating: M

**Summary: Olivia is being stalked by someone from her past. How will the SVU respond when one of their own becomes a victim? Contains Season 10 spoilers.**

He had watched her for months now. Planning…calculating. He sat outside the precinct in the non-descript silver Toyota, sipping a cup of coffee waiting for her to exit. He checked his watch. 4 minutes to 7:00. She was running late tonight. She should have been out at least an hour ago. _Well, Detective, I'm a patient man. I can wait as long as I need to._

It was Friday night. From his surveillance, he knew that she would walk to her apartment on W. 89th St., pausing at her favorite little Chinese restaurant on the corner for sesame chicken and an eggroll. It also meant he had exactly 24 minutes to get into position from the time she left the front door of the precinct.

He put down the coffee cup and glanced up just in time to see her coming down the front steps with another detective. They paused for a moment and headed in their separate directions as he pulled the car out into traffic. Weaving his way through the streets of Manhattan, he pulled the car into the garage on the same block as her apartment. He didn't even bother to lock the car, as he wouldn't be needing it ever again. 16 minutes. Plenty of time.

XxXxXxX

"That's it." Olivia Benson stode out of the interview room, smile plastered on her face, having just flawlessly extracted a confession from a serial rapist preying on joggers in Central Park.

"Walk out with me?" she asked her partner.

"Can't. I still have to process all of the paperwork on your new best friend in there." She scoffed. "You could stay and help me with all of it. My wife and kids would love to see their husband and father sometime this weekend."

"What's the matter, El? I thought you were always looking for an excuse to avoid diaper duty." she quipped back as he settled into his chair.

Stabler sighed at the opened folder in front of him. "I am, and that's why I'm staying parked in this chair tonight. I just thought you might want to give your favorite partner a helping hand."

"My favorite partner, huh? Sorry, this is my first night off in two weeks, and I am going straight home to enjoy a relaxing evening. See you tomorrow, El." She slung her purse over her right shoulder, closed the locker and headed towards the elevator.

Olivia's feet carried her through the familiar blocks to Ming's Chinese restaurant. "The usual Detective?" the elderly Asian man behind the counter asked.

"Yes, Ming, the usual."

"Dinner for one then. You know, Detective. You are pretty woman. Any dates recently?"

"No, not recently. I've been pretty busy keeping the streets of New York clean."

"For you. Extra fortune cookie, just like you like it."

"Thank you." She shook her head as she took the paper bag and headed home. Soon, she'd be curled up on her couch in her favorite sweats relaxing in front of the latest romantic comedy her DVR grabbed off cable.

XxXxXxX

He checked his watch again. 14 minutes. He got to her front door, and by some stroke of luck, another tenant was leaving. He grabbed the door, issued a greeting to the friendly neighbor, and walked right into her building. He was still smiling to himself when he reached her front door. He reached into his pocket and extracted the key, remembering how brilliantly he had obtained it. He entered her apartment, clicked the lock back into place, and slipped into her front hall closet, leaving it slightly ajar so as not to give her any advanced warning of his presence.

He heard footsteps, followed by a click of the lock opening for the second time that evening.

XxXxXxX

Olivia let herself into her apartment, closed and locked the door behind her. She placed the bag and her keys on the counter. She heard a noise from her closet, and before she could turn to react, she felt an arm wrap around her, pinning her elbows to her side, followed by a needle prick in her right arm. She struggled weakly, trying to move an arm, a leg, anything to fight off the invader. Her limbs failed to obey her commands, falling limply. She fought for consciousness with every ounce of her being, but blackness invaded her peripheral vision, and everything went dark.

XxXxXxX

His adrenaline was pumping and his heart was racing as she struggled weakly in his arms. She was strong, but not strong enough to throw him off. He had administered the drug before she could work herself up to full fighting strength. She went limp in his arms, and he knew that his plan would succeed. Releasing his hold slightly, he dragged her into her bedroom and tossed her onto the bed. He undid her belt containing her badge, gun, and handcuffs. Using the cuffs, he secured her arms to the headboard. She was so pliable under his hands, like a stuffed doll. She let out a weak moan. He was going to have to be quick about this; he had only given her a tiny amount of the sedative. He opened her dresser drawer and withdrew two belts, which he used to secure each leg to the foot of the bed. He put her badge and a pair of sharp sewing scissors on top of the dresser. Taking her gun in his right hand, he waited for her to wake up. She was restrained with her own handcuffs, and tonight she would die by her own gun. It was perfect.

XxXxXxX

Where am I? Olivia thought. I can't move. Consciousness returned to Olivia slowly. She was starting to become aware of the rest of her body. Realization hit her. _A man. There was a man in my apartment._ Panic set in, and she became fully alert. The trained cop in her lept forward to defend herself. She jerked her arms and found they were restrained. Her legs told her the same story. Her eyes flew open, and she lifted her head to try to get her bearings.

"Hello, Olivia. Remember me?"

"Help! Help!" she screamed, pulling futilely at her bonds. With lightning speed, he flew on top of her, clamping a hand over her mouth, pushing the gun into her temple so tightly it left a mark. He hadn't meant to do that; he wanted her completely unblemished.

"Go on, keep screaming. If you do, I'll put a bullet in your head. Got it?" Tears streamed down Olivia's face.

"What do you want?" she sobbed.

"Don't you remember? We're connected, Liv." He stroked her face in an almost loving gesture.

XxXxXxX

Across town at Mercy General Hospital, Kathryn Hampton was in hysterics. She had been brought in by paramedics after being the latest victim of a string of date rapes at Hudson University. Det. Munch was assigned the case, and he walked into the hospital to gather her statement.

"Get away from me!" she screamed, hurling a bedpan at him. She pulled herself into a fetal position and rocked while her panicked eyes whipped around the room.

"Detective, a word?" Dr. Amy Sutton pulled Munch aside. 

"She's been like this all night. She seems to have no problem with women. She allowed me to do a full rape kit on her in the end. We had a male nurse on duty, and she reacted similarly when he walked anywhere near her. The same was true when our male attending tried to start the rape kit. Once we assigned a completely female team to her, she relaxed and allowed us to proceed with the exam. My best guess is that she is so traumatized by the events of this evening that she's reacting violently to all men."

"We need to get a statement from her, and the sooner we get it, the better. We're going to need the kit for analysis. How long do you think this will last?"

"Hard to say at this point. My best advice would be to get a female to do the interview, if you can. A woman will be able to get her statement more accurately and quickly than a male will."

Munch nodded, and Dr. Sutton left to check on another patient. He pulled out his phone and dialed Olivia's number. If anyone could reach this poor woman, Olivia could.

XxXxXxX

"Dale? Dale Stuckey?" Olivia's head reeled. The last time she had seen Dale Stuckey, he was trying to filet her partner. Once more, the cop in her came forward to her defense. "Dale, let me go, ok? We can work this out." Dale smiled at her before bending down to kiss her face tenderly.

"We're connected, Liv, and I need to be with you." She saw the same crazed look in his eyes she had seen while he was slicing and dicing Elliot. It was critical to her survival that she befriend him and win his trust once more.

"Dale, you're holding me prisoner. You and I both know that this is leading to rape, and you will go to jail for this. If you let me go now, I can help you." His lips were searing her face, making her sick to her stomach. He scoffed.

"You can help me, Liv? You can help me? I've heard that before. You turned on me that night in the lab, when you came to Stabler's aid. No, Liv, there's no way out of this, for me or you."

He grabbed the scissors and started to meticulously cut her clothes off, starting at her ankles, caressing every inch of exposed skin. She fought him with the limited amount of movement she had, but it just fueled him even more.

"Ok, Liv, it's time. We're truly connected now." Climbing on top of her, he raped her, while she cried silently the whole time. He wanted her to say his name, but only one name rolled off her lips: Elliot. Even now, while he had absolute power over her, she still wanted him. He froze. Anger boiled over her. He reached out his hand and slapped her across the face.

"You just can't let him go, can you, Liv? Well, in case you haven't noticed, he's not the one here. And after tonight, you'll never see him again."

"You don't have to do this Dale. You haven't killed me yet. There's no need to add murder on top of everything else." She looked directly at him, hoping he couldn't see the fear in her eyes.

Her cell phone started ringing in the distance and fell silent.

XxXxXxX

"Hi, this is Det. Benson. Please leave a message, and I'll return your call as soon as I can. If this is an emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room." Munch pounded the End button on his phone for the third time in frustration before dialing the precinct.

"Cragen."

"Captain, I have a problem with a victim. Is Liv still there by any chance?"

"No, she left for the evening. What's the problem?"

"Our vic won't talk to anything with a penis. She's decided to hurl blunt objects at any man that gets within 50 feet of her."

"Ok, stay at the hospital, John. See if you can find anything else out. I'll send Olivia over as soon as I reach her." Cragen hung up and called Olivia's cell.

"Hi, this is Det. Benson. Please leave a message, and I'll return your call as soon as I can. If this is an emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room." Calling her home number, he was greeted with voicemail again.

"Stabler!" he yelled.

"What's up, Captain?"

"Munch needs Olivia to help out with a case, and she's not answering her phone. Did she mention anything to you about where she'd be tonight?"

Stabler furrowed his brow. "She said she was going home."

"Go to her apartment, get her, and get down to Mercy. She has a vic to interview."

XxXxXxX

The phone continued to ring.

"Dale, I need to answer the phone. If I don't, they'll come looking for me. You need to let me go now."

"Then let them look. I'll be gone by then, and you'll be nothing more than another corpse for Warner to play with. I never wanted to hurt you, Liv. Why did you have to turn on me?"

"I didn't turn on you, but I couldn't let you kill another person. We can still make this right, Dale." Her eyes never left him. If she could just keep him seeing her as a human being instead of an object, she might be able to reach him.

He picked up the gun and zipped himself up.

XxXxXxX

Stabler pulled up in front of Liv's building. Looking up at her apartment, he saw a light on. His stomach dropped. If she was home, she would have answered the phone. He let himself into the building using the spare key she had given him years ago. He hurried up the stairs and knocked on her door.

"Liv? Come on, Liv, open up."

XxXxXxX

Stuckey panicked. He looked at the door, then back at Olivia. Raising her gun to her, he disengaged the safety. Her eyes flashed with terror for a split second. Her big brown eyes were windows directly into her soul. For a second, he almost believed that she wanted to help him again. She wasn't the person he thought she was, but she was giving him that look with those warm brown eyes that made him believe that she could care about him. Stabler was pounding on the door. He needed to kill her now, or he would never have the chance again. The eyes. He had to hide the eyes. He pulled a pillow over her face and fired into it. Throwing the window open, he climbed out and flew down the fire escape without ever giving Olivia a second glance.

XxXxXxX

Stabler heard the gunshot from within the apartment and felt his heart sink into the floor. Wasting no time, he kicked in her door, gun drawn.

With all of the grisly rapes and murders he had seen, he thought he could handle anything, but nothing could have prepared him for seeing his partner tied to her own bed, naked, with a pillow over her head.

"Oh no, Liv. No, no, no, no…" He lowered the gun in his hand. Stabler ran to the open window and looked down the fire escape. He hurdled himself out and looked around. Nothing seemed amiss. Whoever had been here had managed to get away. Climbing back in, he turned his attention back to his partner.

He braced himself for what was about to come. No blood, he thought, maybe…

Gingerly, he removed the pillow from her face.

"Elliot…" she moaned.

"My God, Liv, you're alive." He turned her head to inspect her wound. The bullet missed completely. He started to undo her restraints, making every effort to avoid looking at her. He saw the handcuffs on her wrists.

"He got you with your own bracelets?" He pulled out his key and freed her.

"Uh, yeah. He did. My own gun, too." She sat up and pulled a blanket around her. "It was Dale Stuckey. Get an APB out, and don't touch anything. I need to get dressed." She watched him leave and close the door behind him. She wanted so badly to shower and wash Dale off of her, but the detective in her knew that was a mistake. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a faded NYPD sweatshirt and returned to her living room. She pulled out a large evidence bag and bagged her shredded clothing.

"Here." she tossed the bag angrily at him. "Don't break chain of custody." He looked at the bag and hurried after his partner.

"Let's go." she yelled impatiently at Stabler without breaking stride. He wanted to say something to her, but he couldn't find the words. So, he walked behind her, saying nothing. She didn't even look at him the entire way down to the car. Stowing the bag she has tossed him carefully in the back seat, he climbed into the car. _Liv's clothes. _he thought. _These are Liv's clothes in a tagged bag. _He put the key in the ignition and looked at her.

"Liv…"

"Don't, El. Just go to the House." She locked her eyes forward and set her jaw.

They drove in absolute silence, but Elliot couldn't help but notice the lone tear that fell across the hand-shaped bruise on her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, hoping he hadn't seen it. The gun imprint on her forehead and the angry gashes from the handcuffs hadn't escaped his sight either, in spite of the fact that she kept tugging the sleeves of the sweatshirt to cover them.

They stopped to log in the evidence bag. He glanced at her, his blue eyes ripped with concern. She caught him staring.

"Don't stare, El. I'm not the first rape victim you've ever seen." Her brown eyes had changed. The warmth had been replaced by a haunted, almost dead look mixes with raw fury. Walking upstairs, he silently wished for his partner to come back. The normal hustle and bustle of the squad room greeted them.

"Benson. I need you to get down to Mercy. Munch has a vic who won't talk to anyone but a woman."

"Captain, I need to report a rape."

"Let Stabler handle it. I need you at Mercy now."

"No, Captain." she said following him into his office. "I mean I was raped in my apartment tonight." Cragen stopped cold. He slowly turned to face her and noticed the marks on her face for the first time.

"Olivia…I'm so sorry. Here, sit down. Have you been to the hospital yet?" He sat across from her, taking one of her hands into his. She jerked it away from him, instantly feeling guilty for doing so.

"No, I came here first. Remember Dale Stuckey? The creep who tried to make fishsticks out of Elliot in the lab not too long ago? Somehow, he broke into my apartment and ambushed me."

"The bastard got her with her own bracelets, and nearly killed her with her own gun, Captain." Stabler, his voice low and even, stood with his arms across his chest sporting an expression of raw, unadulterated rage. Cragen eyed Stabler.

"Stuckey? I heard the APB, but I had no idea you were the victim. Have Stabler take you to the hospital. Take all the time you need. Don't worry about Stuckey. We'll get him, Liv."

XxXxXxX

Dale Stuckey had made it down the fire escape and drifted into the normal foot traffic on the street. He looked just like anyone else, as long as he resisted the urge to run. His escape plan would still work. He just needed to disappear into the crowd, slip into New Jersey, and board the next international flight out of Newark. By the time they figured it all out, he would be long gone. His only witness was dead, meaning they would have to wait for the dead to speak. Plenty of time.

They would do a rape kit on her, and his DNA and fingerprints would be all over her bedroom. The forensic evidence alone would send him away for sure, but the tests would take hours, if not days to complete. They wouldn't even need a confession. He was so lost in thought, he didn't realize that the uniformed NYPD officer coming up behind him. "Dale Stuckey, you are under arrest for the rape and attempted murder of Olivia Benson. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

XxXxXxX

"We got him, Liv. It's over." Cragen had come down to the ER to personally deliver the news. "Now we just have to get you straightened out." She was still waiting for a doctor, but the waiting room was fairly quiet. Munch had taken the chair to her right, while Stabler sat on her left. Every time she insisted that she could handle this herself, the insisted just as vehemently that they wanted to stay. Finally, she was called back to an exam room.

"Gentlemen? I'm afraid I need to ask you to leave. I'm here to do Miss Benson's rape kit." _Rape kit._ Those two words hit her just as surely as if she had been hit with a fist.

She watched as the three of them left the room, immediately wishing that at least one of them had stayed. As tough as she was, she still didn't want to do this alone, but she would never admit it.

"Captain," Elliot said when they got to the hallway. "I'd like to wait for her, if you don't mind."

Cragen nodded, catching the look in Stabler's eyes. "We're all staying, Elliot." It was the look of genuine concern on Stabler's face, the same look that was so critical to the amazing partnership he and Olivia shared.

XxXxXxX

"Miss Benson, I need you to stand over the paper, remove all of your clothing, and place it in the labeled bags. Put the gown on, and come over to the table when you've finished." With every piece of clothing Olivia removed, she felt less and less like a human being. She was on display, an object of mockery. She was Olivia Benson, the sex crimes detective who was raped in her own home. How many times had she been with victims in this same situation? How many hands had she held while they went through this? Pulling the gown closed, she walked back to the exam table where Dr. Sutton was waiting for her.

"Ok, Miss Benson…"

"Olivia, please."

"Olivia, the first thing we need to do is take some photographs." She turned her face to the side, as directed. The camera flashed. _On display…like a prized pig._ Her hands were gently pulled in front of her, palms up. Another flash. _Everyone will know._ Her arms were rotated and another flash. _Why me?_ Now they were at her ankles, rotating them, to capture every inch of bruising. _Tell me this is a nightmare._ The camera stopped.

"Ok, Olivia, we need to take some swabs."

"I'm sorry. Is there any way my partner can come in here?" She couldn't explain why, but she wanted Elliot to hold her hand. Nothing more…just hold her hand.

"Of course." And there he was, walking to her side. He placed one arm protectively around her head and with the other, took her hand in his, as soon as they released it after taking her fingernail scrapings.

Dr. Sutton took her through the standard questions on the form. Oral penetration, not attempted. Vaginal penetration, attempted, successful. Anal penetration, not attempted. In a part of her brain, Olivia knew it was necessary. Law enforcement relied on the information provided from the victim, but reliving the experience so soon was quickly taking a toll on her. The victim in her just wanted to make the whole thing go away.

"Ok, Olivia, I need you to come to the edge of the table and spread your legs…good. I'm just going to take a couple of swabs. You're going to feel a slight pressure." She winced in pain and grabbed Elliot's hand harder.

"Bruising to the inner thighs and vaginal trauma present," Dr. Sutton relayed to her nurse. He stroked her hair and whispered how great she was doing. The doctor turned the lights off and scanned her body with a UV lamp, taking swabs wherever her skin glowed. Elliot only let go for the light to pass over the hand he was holding. The entire kit felt like it was taking years to complete.

"Fluids present on the inner thighs, face, and neck." Dr. Sutton said as her nurse logged the information. The soft cotton swabs felt like sandpaper against her skin. Another tear fell down Olivia's cheek.

"We're all set, Olivia. The nurse just brought in a set of scrubs for you to wear home tonight. We'll have everything sent to the forensics lab."

"Thank you, Doctor." She turned her attention back to Elliot. "El, I don't know where to start…"

He pulled her into his arms. "Don't say anything, Liv. It's ok. I already called Kathy, and we both insist that you come to our house, at least until we can get your place cleaned up." _Cleaned up? What is he talking about? _Then it hit her. A police unit was at her home right now, tearing it apart, looking for anything that would put her rapist behind bars. Burying her face in his chest, she felt her hard exterior crumbling. She started slow, and built her way up to wracking sobs. She felt her legs crumble underneath her. Elliot kept her in his arms and hit the floor with her. Pulling her to him, he rocked her and stroked her hair.

"It's ok, Liv. Let it out. I'm not going anywhere. It's going to be ok." He repeated his mantra over and over until her sobs quieted and her breathing became even again.

"I'm sorry, El. I shouldn't have lost it like that."

"Olivia Benson, listen to me. Tonight you were the victim. You don't need to be the detective tonight."

XxXxXxX

When the pulled up to the Stablers' house, Kathy was already at the door. She ushered Olivia into the house and sat her down at the kitchen table.

"I figured you hadn't eaten in a while, so I made you some soup."

"Thanks, Kathy, but I'm not really hungry." Olivia sat obediently with her hands folded in her lap. The steaming bowl of soup smelled delicious, but she couldn't bring herself to eat it.

"Liv, just a few bites. Then, I promise, we'll get you straight into bed." Too exhausted to protest, Olivia took the spoon and forced a bite. Her body took on a life of its own, and as soon as the soup hit her stomach, she couldn't stop eating. Elliot and Kathy just watched, grateful that she wasn't punishing herself further by not eating.

Having finished dinner, Olivia felt a wave of sheer exhaustion sweep over her. It was nearly 5:00 in the morning.

"Come on, Liv, I'll show you to your room." The spare room in the Stabler house was small, but cozy. The handmade quilt on the bed gave the room a homey feel and the bed called to her like a siren. As Elliot turned to leave, Olivia stopped him.

"El, thanks. I mean it…for everything." He said nothing, only giving a polite nod as he headed to his own bedroom. Olivia climbed into the inviting bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Olivia opened her eyes the next morning and wondered why on earth she was in Elliot's guest room. For a brief, blissful second, she forgot all of the events of the night before. Reality came crashing down on her as she sat up in bed. On the chest at the foot of her bed was a small pile of her clothing, folded neatly and waiting for her, along with a new toothbrush and hairbrush. A second pile of clean towels sat next to the clothes. She picked up the toothbrush and towels and padded her way across the hall toward the bathroom. She adjusted the tap in the shower and stepped in, washing away every trace of Dale Stuckey on her body. Allowing herself to break down again, she slid down the shower wall and cried until there was nothing left to cry. Even then, she filled the bathroom with her dry sobs. The water had long since run cold by the time she stepped out, and she had scrubbed herself raw, but at least she felt slightly cleaner than before.

Kathy heard the water running and the woman crying in her upstairs bathroom. The mother in her wanted to rush to her and soothe away her pain, but Olivia was a grown woman and not one of her own children. So she sat, listening, praying for God's healing touch on the woman who was like another member of the family. Finally the water stopped running, and Olivia appeared a few minutes later dressed in a pair of jeans, sweatshirt, and a wet ponytail.

"Morning, Olivia. How are you feeling today?" As the woman poured a steaming cup of coffee into a mug, Kathy noticed the purpling bruises around her wrists. Olivia gave another tug to cover them.

"I've been better. Kathy, how did my clothes get here?"

"Elliot was up early this morning…couldn't sleep. He drove over to your place and picked up a few of your things to make you more comfortable. As soon as you've eaten something, I'll drive you to the station. We both figured you'd want to file your report as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Kathy, but I'm not hungry. I'd really just like to get all of this behind me."

"At least have some toast?" She placed the plate of warm toast in front of Olivia, and given the look on Kathy's face, she opted to just eat it.

XxXxXxX

Olivia stepped into the squad room. It felt different somehow. It felt like everyone was staring at her, as if they could see right through her.

"Olivia, come on in." Cragen stood before her with the same fatherly expression he had worn the night before. Elliot stood next to him, professionalism mixed with concern on his face. "CSU went through your apartment last night with a fine tooth comb. We have Stuckey's prints in multiple locations and DNA in the semen from your bedsheets. Warner's also gone over your clothes, and we found several hairs and fibers as well as an excellent DNA sample." She winced at the thought of her co-workers, especially her boss, knowing the fluidic details of her bedsheets and clothing. Her entire personal life was hanging out on display, and all she wanted to do was tuck it away where it belonged.

"How did he get inside? I didn't see any sign of forced entry." she asked.

"We still don't know. He must have had a key because our guys didn't see any sign of forced entry either, from the door or the windows." Olivia's blood ran cold. A few weeks ago, she remembered seeing the lock on her locker hanging open. She had given it a second thought because nothing was missing, but now, she realized he must have taken her keys to have a copy made, leaving the lock hanging open as a warning.

"Where's Stuckey?" she asked.

"He's been sent to the Tombs for now. He'll probably make bail after his arraignment, but we've taken precautions to ensure your safety." She tried to focus, but every now and then a wild expression shone through her eyes, and it hadn't gone unnoticed by Cragen. He softened his tone. "Olivia, we'll get through this."

"You'll be staying at my place under a protective detail until the trial is over. As soon as we finish up here, we'll go pick up the rest of your things." Something snapped inside Olivia.

"Guys, as much as I appreciate all of this, I'm not a child. I'm a cop; I know how to take care of myself." Cragen and Stabler exchanged glances. Cragen spoke.

"Liv, no one here thinks that you're a child at all. We know you're a cop, and a damn good one. But Stuckey has his sights set on you, and I'd like to keep you out of his crosshairs."

Olivia threw up her hands in frustration. "Fine. I'll stay in Queens like a prisoner while my rapist gets to walk around the streets of New York. Is that what you want? Because I don't. I want to be in my own home, with my own things, and I want to do my own job."

"Olivia, you and I both know the DA's office will get him locked up. Right now, you just have to wait it out. Go ahead, be angry, throw things at me, whatever it takes. But I'd rather have you angry and safe than happy and dead." Elliot had a point. In the end, Olivia agreed to remain at the Stablers' house until the trial was over.

XxXxXxX

Six weeks had passed since the fated night that turned Olivia's world upside down. All of the guys had trooped over to her apartment to help her clean up after CSU had conducted their investigation. Munch and Fin had meticulously scrubbed down every surface dirtied with fingerprinting dust. Cragen had presented her with a new set of sheets to replace the ruined ones. Elliot had overseen the installation of new locks on her front door and windows and insisted on installing an alarm system.

Dale Stuckey had been found guilty of rape in the first degree and attempted murder in the first degree, which secured himself 25 to life in Rikers. And Olivia? She had taken some personal time off to see to herself. The flashbacks hardly came anymore, which had taken a great deal of work and support. She still awoke in cold sweats from nightmares, but she was sleeping in her own apartment. Elliot glanced across the squad room and caught a glimpse of Olivia in the interview room with another victim. She had her hand on top of the victim's and was leaning in, listening with the same intensity and warmth she had since the day her met her. He smiled.

_She's gonna be fine, El. She'll be just fine._


End file.
